www.odogwublog.com reports that Governor Willie Obiano’s led government in
Anambra state has said it is ready to with the federal government to ensure
food safety and food security in the State.Obiano gave the assurance at the Government
House, Awka, when he received in audience, food experts from United Nations, Industrial
Development Organization UNIDO, who are in the State on awareness campaign on
food safety and food security.Governor Obiano, represented by the Deputy
Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, said that checks and measures should be put in place
to ensure that bad foods as well as illicit drugs do not find their way into
the market, especially through importation.The Governor commended the initiative of
sensitizing people on healthy practices, because, according to him, health is
wealth.Speaking on behalf of the Minister Of Health,
Professor Isaac Adewole, the Chairman, National Food Safety Management
Committee, Mr. Fubara Chuku, said the courtesy call is in keeping with their
usual practice of paying respect to constituted authorities and expressed the
hope that through the sensitization, the masses will be better educated on
things they should do to ensure food safety, thereby buying their health with
their food.He said that the sensitization had lasted
since two thousand and fourteen, urging the State government to put in place a
food safety management committee as well as establish a safety desk, patterned
to what is already existing at the federal level.
Contributing, a National Expert on Food Safety and National Quality
Infrastructure Project for Nigeria, Mr. John Funsho, said that with the
emerging Agricultural market in Anambra, Agro businesses will thrive better
with food safety, noting that the aim of the sensitization is to ensure that
the food products in the markets adhere to international best practices.While calling on citizens to avoid buying
cheap food which expose them to infections and diseases such as typhoid and
cancer, he noted that government is spending a lot of resources on public
health, adding that UNIDO is helping the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure
food safety and food security..Present during the call were the Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Export, Mr. Leo
Imoka, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communication
Strategy, Mr. Benjamin Umerah, among others.
Presentation of materials to the Governor as a food ambassador formed the high
point of the call.